How to Design a Budget Kitchen + Island, Farmhouse Style

Hi Friends! This is Kristin from Postbox Designs, Interior E-Design and today I have Kitchens on my mind! I have spent 13 years as a kitchen designer, working on everything from budget kitchens to kitchens that cost more than my home! And through all of the years I have learned a lot of tricks about how to make a kitchen look great on a budget. And today I want to share those tips and tricks with you guys. I created THREE different custom Mood Boards to share with you all today. I’m going to show you how to create a beautiful DIY kitchen, plus a bonus DIY island tutorial.

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Yup, it sure can! The Farmhouse Kitchen Mood Board I created for you guys are just like the Mood Boards I create for all of my Online Interior Design clients. I’m going to show you everything you need to buy for your kitchen, and check out below for the Shopping List for everything. You can just click and buy through the Remodelaholic affiliate links below (learn more about what that means here)!

But first: this was my inspirational image I based my Farmhouse DIY Kitchen designs from. I love the simple subway tile paired with the wood open shelves, apron front sink, quartz countertops, and some farmhouse flair with the striped towel. You can scroll down below to see how I converted this Farmhouse Kitchen image into a budget friendly DIY version that you can do today!

Elements to Create a Farmhouse Kitchen

So what are some of the elements you need to create a Farmhouse style Kitchen?

Rustic Wood Cabinets

I know white kitchens rule Pinterest, and I love them too. But I want to show you a different way you can achieve the rustic Farmhouse Kitchen look without going all white. Instead try a rustic stained wood such as Hickory or Chesnut — the mood board below features Natural Hickory Cabinets available at Home Depot. The lighter the stain, the more natural variations you will see in the wood. Conversely, the darker the stain, the more these knots and graining will blend in. You can go with all stained wood cabinets in your kitchen. Or, just use it as an accent like in this island above, or in a special section such as built-in, or coffee bar.

Open Shelves

Yup, open shelves just ooze Farmhouse Kitchen style. I love using floating wood shelves such as these, or you can add some metal corbels underneath — or go for a suspended shelf look with this tutorial. Open shelves are also the perfect place to add some decorative touches to your kitchen. In my Farmhouse Kitchen Mood Board I created for you guys, I’m showing adding some decorative items such as a cake plate and leaning some black and white framed photos casually against your shelves. I would sprinkle in a few decorative touches into functional items, such as displaying your dishes or a collection. In my own kitchen I show off my collection of white cake plates on my open shelves!

A Budget Friendly Farmhouse Kitchen + Island You Can DIY

Are you ready to create your very own DIY Farmhouse Kitchen? I created these two Mood Boards to show you everything that I would incorporate to show off this modern Farmhouse style. You can find the sources for everything you see by clicking on the item number below:

And now let’s talk island! In my house, the kitchen island is always the centerpiece of the kitchen: everyone hangs out there, eats there, and even does homework there. But instead of an expensive custom island, you can create your very own DIY version, using less expensive materials and some small upgrades. Check out the Mood Board below for all of the sources + I’m going to show you a DIY island tutorial as well!

To add some color to our Farmhouse Kitchen design I’m showing a deep navy island. You can order cabinets already in a navy color, or you can create a DIY island…and I’m going to show you how below. Here’s some inspiration for letting a navy kitchen island shine:

Create Your Own DIY Kitchen Island

Painting Your Island Cabinet

For our DIY island tutorial I started with some simple Shaker style cabinets. You can either match the style of the rest of your kitchen cabinets, or use a different cabinet style for your island. You can use unfinished cabinets or paint over existing ones. Need a cabinet painting tutorial? Here is a great one to get you started: How To Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets In One Weekend

For this DIY island, I used a rich, deep navy paint. I would recommend using semi-gloss or gloss paint for your island, as it will be a lot easier to wipe clean.

Add Some Bling to Your DIY Island

The very best way to glam up inexpensive cabinets is to add an amazing, eye-catching cabinet pull. While these gold hex cabinet pulls might be a bit more expensive than some others (but still a steal at $10/each), you will only need a few of them, so I think they are worth every penny. To further glam up an inexpensive cabinet door, you can add a bit of style with these gold L-brackets. Place in the corner of each cabinet to mimic the Campaign style and add some extra flair. I wouldn’t do this in your entire kitchen, but adding to a single piece of furniture, or a focal point such as your island will go a long way.

And to pull in that gold color, I also paired it with these inexpensive (around $50 each) gold light pendants.

Make Your Island Functional

You can add a little extra function to your island by making the use of its sides. I used a gold bathroom towel bar attached to the side of the island for a DIY kitchen towel holder. Install on the side of your island and you can hang your pretty new towels for easy access.

Create An Eat-In Island: The Dimensions You Need to Know

Want an island you can snack at? I love it! There are just a few dimensions to keep in mind if you want to use your kitchen island for eating. You will want a minimum of a 12” overhang and maximum of 18” overhang. And you will need corbels or cabinets for support of your overhang. If you are going to be eating actual meals at your island, I would suggest 15-18”. You also want to allow a minimum of 24” for each person to comfortably eat. You can always go more, especially if you will have larger barstools.

Island typically are at one of two heights: 36” high (standard kitchen cabinet height), or 42” high (standard kitchen bar height). Either is fine-it is completely your preference. However, you want to make sure you get the right bar stools for your countertop height! Typically bar stool seat heights between 24-27” will work well for your 36” high counters. Bar stool seat heights between 28”-33” will work for the taller 42” bar height counters.

If you are tight on space, choose a backless barstool such as these bright yellow metal ones (which are also available in other colors if yellow isn’t your pick). They will fit right under your overhang when not in use. And a bonus tip, coming from a Mom of three: skip the rattan or fabric stools if you have small children. Stick with metal, wood, or even vinyl bar stools.

Free Design Resources

And I’m going to leave you with one more special freebie for the day! I have a Free Resource Library that is chock full of design freebies such as Mood Boards, Shopping Lists, Guides, and Worksheets. And did I mention it is all free? If you want to extend that Farmhouse style to your Bathroom, Laundry Room, or Mudroom, you’ll want to check out the Guides in here. Grab it all:

I hope you got inspired to create some budget friendly beauty in your new or existing kitchen. Use now or save these ideas for later when you are ready to tackle your project. A huge thanks to the entire Remodelaholic team for letting me be with you today. You can find out more about How Online Interior Design Works or drop me an email at kristin@postboxdesigns.com and we can chat all about your project.

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About Kristin @ Postbox Designs

Kristin is an interior designer, wife, and mom to three cuties. She started Postbox Designs E-Design so she could be at home with her kids while still doing what she loves. She is obsessed with wingback chairs, gray walls, and anything herringbone. When she's not chasing around her kids or her Labradoodle pup Jasper she's sharing budget friendly designs at postboxdesigns.com (instagram.com/postboxdesigns, instagram.com/postboxdesigns).

We love hearing from fellow Remodelaholics, so let us know what you like about this and leave any questions below in the comments. If you have followed a tutorial or been inspired by something you have seen here, we would love to see pictures! Submit pictures here or by messaging us over on Facebook.

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